


The Naked Truth

by sharkie335



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-21
Updated: 2010-09-21
Packaged: 2017-10-12 01:55:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharkie335/pseuds/sharkie335
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I found this paperwork on my desk, along with a matching request from Doctor McKay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Naked Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Happy!fic challenge by chophica and unamaga.

John couldn't believe he was going to do this. Wiping sweaty hands down the sides of his pants; he picked up the slip of paper off his desk. It looked so harmless, and yet had such potential.

Refusing to second-guess himself, he hopped the transporter to the Control tower. Woolsey wasn't in his office, so John let himself in, and laid the sheet down on the keyboard, where Woolsey would spot it just as soon as he sat down. Refusing to give in to the butterflies in his stomach, he turned and walked out.

He knew that he should go back to his office - the day wasn't over yet - but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he went to the personnel quarters, bypassing his own and heading to Rodney's. The door slid open immediately, and John went in, practically collapsing on Rodney's bed.

"Colonel Sheppard?" Woolsey's voice came through the radio.

John swallowed painfully before reaching for the button. "Yes, sir?"

"I found this paperwork on my desk, along with a matching request from Doctor McKay."

It was all John could do not to hyperventilate.

"Permission granted for both of you, of course. Will you be going together?" And there it was. He could say no, and no one would be any the wiser. They might suspect, but that would be okay.

"Yes, sir." His voice was strangled.

"Well, have fun on leave."

"Right, fun," John said, staring blankly at the floor. He'd done it.

Ever since DADT had been revoked, his relationship with Rodney had been an open secret, but going on vacation together? That was going to confirm the suspicion in everyone's minds, as if he'd gone down on one knee in the mess and proposed.

Joint vacations.

Jesus, they _were_ serious about each other.

He wanted to stay right where he was until Rodney came back, get a kiss and maybe a handjob. But he had work he needed to get done, if they were going to go on vacation in a week. Instead, he slapped his thighs and stood up, triggering his radio on a private channel for Rodney. "Hey."

"Yes, Colonel?" Rodney said. Probably only John heard the hesitation before the word "Colonel."

"We got the leave."

Rodney didn't say anything, just breathed in John's ear. "Did you hear me?" he asked.

"Yeah, I heard you. That's - that's good. Real good." Rodney sounded like he was about to be sick.

"You okay, buddy?" John asked him, concerned.

"Nothing to be concerned about. I guess I need to tell Zelenka he'll be on his own with the monkeys for ten days, and you should tell Lorne. Give them time to get their panties in a bunch."

John couldn't help laughing, not that he'd ever repeat what Rodney said to Lorne. He liked having a... a... dammit, he could _think_ the word, even if he didn't think he'd ever be able to say it... a _lover_ who was still breathing.

The laughter broke the tension that hovered over the two of them, and John opened Rodney's door, turning to the left and heading back towards his office. "Yeah, okay. See you at dinner?"

"That's a plan. McKay out."

Lorne had chuckled a little when John told him that he was going on vacation, like he didn't quite believe it. It was only when John pulled out the duty schedule to review - a job he hated and tended to procrastinate on - that Lorne sobered up. "You're _serious_ , sir?" he said.

"As a heart attack, Major." John tilted his head and looked at Lorne, who looked uncomfortable. "Is there a problem, Lorne?"

"Nope." Lorne grinned a little, head tilted in question. "McKay going with you?"

John couldn't help the flinch. He knew what Lorne was really asking, and years of repress and deny were hard to overcome. But he wasn't going to lie about it, now that he couldn't be fired for it. "Yes, he is."

"You two going to Canada?" Lorne still had the most peculiar smile on his face.

Mouth suddenly gone dry, John had to swallow hard. "Why would we do that?"

"Well, figured you two might be getting hitched or something."

Without thinking, John picked up an eraser and threw it at Lorne who ducked. "You ass," he said.

"Come on, sir. Everyone knows what it means when two people from Atlantis ask for leave together..." But Lorne was still smiling, and that made something tight inside John relax.

"No, just a vacation. I think we're going to Florida, though you'd have to ask Rodney. He made all the plans." That made something else twist in John's stomach - something almost like anticipation.

Lorne asked a few more questions, but when John either evaded them, or honestly didn't know the answers, he gave up. Giving John a sly grin, he said, "I'll just find out from Parrish anyway."

"Okay, I do not want to think about you with your botanist," John said, assaulted by mental images that he didn't want.

Chuckling dirtily, Lorne pulled up the schedule and the two of them started going through it, day by day. John was determined that everything would go smoothly while he was gone.

He should have worried more about the time before they left, because he barely saw Rodney for the next several days as one emergency after another occupied him. Twenty-four hours before they were supposed to leave, Rodney sent John an email.

 _We_ are _leaving tomorrow, come hell or high water._

I need you to pack for me - one clean uniform and the rest civvies. There's a text file on my laptop with a list - thingstobring.txt. Just throw everything on that list into a bag for me and it'll be good.

And don't forget your swimsuit!

Feeling kind of like a wife, even though John had never dared ask Nancy to pack for him, John did as Rodney had ordered, and was standing in the gateroom five minutes before they were due to dial Earth. There was no sign of Rodney, and he was starting to really worry, when Rodney came bounding in. "I'm here, I'm here, and if Zelenka can't handle the next ten days, I don't want to hear about it."

Woolsey came out to oversee the dial-in. "Have fun, gentlemen," he said as he waved them through the wormhole.

"We will," Rodney said, and then they stepped through the puddle.

****

Clearing medical in the Mountain was always a pain in the ass. Since they didn't just travel off world but actively lived there, the doctors seemed to want to poke and prod even more than Keller did. It was great seeing Carson, though, who'd recovered enough to be working in Cheyenne.

John would have felt bad about not spending more time with the man if he hadn't waved them off. "We'll catch up before you go back," he said. "I know you two have plans."

He knew that the smile he was trying to give Carson looked more like a grimace, but John wasn't sure that he wanted everyone to know his business like that. Unfortunately, the SGC was a closed community, which meant gossip traveled faster than anything else, and it was too late to stop it. "Yeah, plans."

Carson tilted his head at the tone of John's voice, but didn't say anything. John's stomach squirmed as he felt guilty. He _did_ want to go. He just didn't want everyone speculating about him and Rodney.

One of the other doctors called Carson over, and as he walked away, he said, "You're both clear to go."

Neither of them had to be told twice, jumping up from their respective tables and heading towards the elevator. They'd already been cleared by Landry to leave, so it was just a matter of getting a motor pool car and hustling to the airport.

"You going to tell me what we're doing yet?" John pestered Rodney on the long ride up.

"Nope. You'll see when we get there." Rodney looked devious and happy, and John decided that the gossip was worth it if it made Rodney look like that. Taking advantage of the empty elevator and the long ride up, John wrapped an arm around Rodney's shoulders and tugged him in for a hug. Kissing his forehead, he released him again.

Rodney looked at him, a soft smile dancing around his lips, but he didn't say anything. Before John could try to justify what he'd done, the doors dinged, and they were out.

They got a car - a white Honda civic, which made John curl his lip in disgust - and drove to the airport. John knew that they were going to Florida, but it wasn't until they checked in at the desk that he found out they were going to Key West. Key Weird, he remembered his father calling it. He'd never been there, but he'd seen pictures. It had looked like fun.

The flight to Atlanta was annoying, complete with crying baby. But now that they were away from Atlantis and the SGC, John found it much easier to relax, so it didn't bother him too much. Not like Rodney, anyway, who looked like he was going to have an aneurism. Thankfully, the baby wasn't on their next flight, and then they were landing in Key West.

The airport was tiny, which didn't surprise John at all, but he was genuinely surprised to discover that the airline hadn't lost their luggage. They rented a car, but Rodney insisted on driving.

John was pleased to discover that at least he could _drive_ in a straight line. They pulled up to a gated entrance, where they both had to produce ID. When John caught Rodney's eye, he raised one eyebrow over that. Rodney just smirked.

As they drove past the high wall, John looked away. "Watch the road," he mumbled, ignoring the way that Rodney laughed at him. They drove all the way to the back of the complex before Rodney pulled into a parking space. John didn't really pay attention, though, since he'd realized that just about everyone he saw was paired, and usually with their own gender. _That_ didn't bother him. What did was the severe lack of clothing on most of them. "Um, Rodney?" he asked, staring at a small co-ed group standing around a grill.

"John?" Rodney answered. He sounded nervous. "If you don't like it, we can go."

That made John turn to look at Rodney, who gave him a sickly smile. "Just tell me that nudity isn't mandatory." John may have had body modesty driven out of him during Basic - didn't mean that he wanted to show off for _everyone_.

"It isn't. It's just... clothing optional, adults only, and gay friendly. Don't have to worry about being stared at." Rodney laughed a little nervously. "Well they'll stare at you, but it's because you're hot, not because of your state of dress."

Something tight in John's chest relaxed all at once. Shooting a grin at Rodney, he said, "So, you think I'm hot?"

Rodney just rolled his eyes. "Do you want to stay here or come in with me?"

"Um, I'll stay here," John said quickly, not sure he'd be able to handle a lobby full of naked people.

As if he could read John's mind Rodney smiled and then slid out of the car. John found himself staring at his ass. God, it had been too long since he'd gotten laid. Then Rodney - and his ass - disappeared into the lobby.

John looked around, only to realize that there was an awful lot of skin on display. He wasn't sure where it was polite to look. He ended studying the dashboard intently, only to be startled by the door opening. He looked up at a smiling Rodney and he had to smile back. What was a little embarrassment when it put that look on Rodney's face?

"All checked in?" he asked.

"Yep," said Rodney, sliding back behind the wheel. "We'll be there in just a minute." He turned the car back on and backed out.

It really was only a second before he was parking again. The building was small, set a little distance from the surrounding cabins. When Rodney had unlocked the door and switched on the lights, John looked around curiously.

There was a small kitchenette, and a table with two chairs, but most of the room was dominated by a _huge_ bed, covered with a bright comforter and enough pillows for all of Atlantis. John didn't care - his brain had locked onto the fact that he had Rodney and a bed in the same room, and no one was going to interrupt them this time.

Dropping his suitcases, he turned to make sure that the door had closed behind them. Seeing that it had, he turned his attention to Rodney, who was watching him with a smile. Crowding up behind him, he used his own body to urge Rodney towards the bed. The smile on Rodney's face told him that he knew exactly what John was doing.

It didn't bother John. In fact, he smiled back as he tangled his fingers in the hem of Rodney's t-shirt. He waited for a second to see if Rodney was going to object, and when he didn't, he pulled it off. He lowered his head to bite and suck at Rodney's neck while his hands were busy trying to get Rodney's pants undone. When the belt finally gave, he unbuttoned and unzipped before he dropped to his knees.

He couldn't help the grunt of discomfort from hitting the floor too hard, but he had the perfect distraction, right at eye level. Yanking Rodney's pants down to around his knees, he shouldered him back until he sat on the edge of the bed. Burying his nose in the curls at the base of Rodney's dick, he inhaled deeply, smelling clean sweat and Rodney.

Rodney's hands tangled in John's hair, but he made no effort to direct things. He probably thought that John was going to blow him. He was wrong.

Instead of sucking Rodney's dick, John dropped his head sucking one of Rodney's balls into his mouth gently. He lipped at the loose skin, rolling the ball inside his mouth, as his hands were busy untying Rodney's shoes and pushing off his pants.

He could hear Rodney panting like a freight train above him. His hands kept clenching tight in John's hair, but he didn't say anything. That wasn't enough for John.

Releasing the testicle that he had in his mouth, he spent some time bathing Rodney's sac thoroughly. Then he set his shoulders, using them to force Rodney to spread his legs even wider. Dipping his head, he dragged his tongue along Rodney's perineum. Rodney made a sound at that, a bitten off curse. Still not good enough.

Bringing up his hands, he spread Rodney's cheeks. Rodney tried to close his legs at that, push John away. "John, I haven't showered!"

"Don't care," John answered. "I've got to taste you." Not giving Rodney a chance to keep arguing, John pressed forward and licked over Rodney's hole.

Rodney moaned, his legs relaxing and spreading. His scent was stronger here, but John didn't care. What _was_ important were the sounds that Rodney was making, the way that his hole twitched under John's assault. Forming his tongue into a point he pressed it into Rodney's body.

Rodney moaned loudly. "Oh, god," he said, voice breaking. If he could have, John would have smiled, but he couldn't. Instead he focused on licking and sucking until Rodney was insensible with pleasure.

He was finally stopped by Rodney's hand tightening in his hair and pulling him up. "Please, John, suck my dick," Rodney pleaded, pushing at John's head to get positioned over the head of his cock. John lifted his eyes, looking up Rodney's body, as he dragged his tongue over the head of Rodney's dick, licking away the pre-come.

"Mmm," he moaned at the flavor exploding across his tongue. Opening his mouth wider, he sucked in the head of Rodney's cock.

Trying to drag it out, make it last, he moved down slowly, taking Rodney's cock deeper a fraction of an inch at a time. He wanted to suck down the whole thing, but he couldn't get the angle right. Instead he wrapped his hand around the shaft, sliding down till his lips kissed his fist.

Hand and mouth working in concert, John worked Rodney higher and higher, till he was gasping and groaning. His own cock was aching in sympathy when he finally starting focusing on the head, tongue lashing the sensitive point where all the nerves came together.

With a drawn out cry, Rodney grabbed John's head with both hands, hips rocking up fast and hard. "I'm gonna... gonna..." he gasped out as he started to come. John swallowed eagerly, taking the time to lick Rodney clean before standing up.

Ripping his jeans open, he yanked out his cock and started to jerk it roughly as he looked over a completely debauched Rodney. It wasn't going to take much, and when Rodney opened his eyes, giving him the barest of nods, he came, spattering come over Rodney's stomach and groin

He wanted to collapse onto the bed, but his took the time to strip off his clothes. Then he fell into the bed next to Rodney, who had moved to the middle. He knew better than to expect a kiss before he brushed his teeth, but he could bury his face in Rodney's shoulder. He did so, letting sleep drag him under.

****

John must have been more tired than he thought, because when he blinked himself awake, the clock was blinking three thirty a.m. Rodney was sitting at the kitchen table, working in the light of his laptop. John rolled out of the bed, waved to Rodney, and staggered to the bathroom.

After peeing and washing his hands and face, he went back out. He was awake now, and absolutely _starving_. "Is there anything to eat?" he asked.

Rodney waved him towards the kitchen, and John opened the refrigerator, not expecting much. It was full to bursting, and John stood there blinking dumbly in the dim light for a moment before grabbing an apple, taking it over to the table. Before he sat down, he leaned over to kiss Rodney's cheek. "What are you working on?" he asked.

Turning the computer so that John could see the game of minesweeper, Rodney quirked a smile. "Nothing big. Just couldn't sleep any more."

John took a couple of bites of apple. "Gate lag is a bitch," he offered after he swallowed.

"Exactly," Rodney turned the computer back but didn't resume his game. "You should go back to bed."

"You too," John insisted. "At least come lie down with me for a little while." He knew that he sounded a little like a girl, but they didn't get to share a bed to just sleep very often, and he didn't want to miss a second of it.

Rodney's smile was blinding. "You want to cuddle, don't you?"

It was something of a running joke, and John had finally realized that Rodney wasn't going to seriously make fun of his need to touch - not even in private.

Two more bites finished the apple, and he tossed the core in the trash before rinsing his hands. He shook the water off, and then followed Rodney back to the bed. Rodney lay down on his back, and John crawled in after him, pillowing his head on Rodney's shoulder. He felt Rodney's lips brush his forehead as he drifted back to sleep.

The next time he woke, the sun was shining in the window, and it looked to be a beautiful day. Rolling out of bed, he left Rodney drooling in his pillow and went to take a shower.

The shower itself was huge, even bigger than the facilities on Atlantis, and John wasn't surprised when the door slid open, Rodney stepping inside. He got a brief kiss on the cheek and then Rodney reached past him to grab the shampoo, which he used to lather John's hair. "So, what's the plan today?" John asked, luxuriating in the feel of Rodney's hands in his hair.

"Well, unfortunately for you, Key West sucks for surfing," Rodney said. "But there's snorkeling or scuba diving. _I <_ plan on reading some of the journals that I never have time for." Rodney's skillful hands massaged John's scalp, getting rid of tension he didn't know he had.

"Mmm..." John said. "I haven't snorkeled in years." Rodney picked up the soap and started to work up a lather. "You going to do everything or can I wash myself?"

"I thought I'd make sure you were really clean," Rodney said, the leer in his voice clear. Strong hands started washing him before John could say anything else, so he relaxed, letting Rodney run his soapy hands over his body.

And Rodney took his time at it, driving John right up the wall, since his hands went everywhere but where John wanted them. His cock was hard and his balls tight as Rodney washed his inner thighs.

"Please, Rodney," John begged, widening his stance, hoping for a hand wrapped around his dick, or fingers in his ass. It wasn't like Rodney wasn't turned on - his cock jutted out between his thighs and he kept biting his lip.

Finally, Rodney ran his fingers down the cleft of John's ass, but when John pushed back, Rodney pulled away. "Soap makes a lousy lube," he said, voice light.

John growled softly but held still as Rodney washed him. That left just one place, and John looked at Rodney hopefully. Rodney handed him the soap. "Finish getting clean," he said.

Disappointed, John took the soap and wrapped a slick hand around his cock. It would have been easy to jerk himself off quick, but he was more interested in what Rodney was going to do. Instead he made washing his cock and balls into a show, slow and easy, even if the feel of his hand was intense.

"Rinse off," Rodney said, as he turned his attention to washing himself. John didn't know how he could sound so calm. He wasn't desperate - yet - but it was a close thing. But Rodney was just washing himself calmly, ignoring the hard-on that made John's mouth water.

After he got all the soap off, he stepped out of the way and let Rodney rinse off as well. He hoped that he'd get slammed up against the wall, but Rodney didn't. Instead, he cocked a grin at John. "Don't worry. I'm going to fuck you, but in the bed. My knees can't handle the stress." John must have looked disappointed, because Rodney's face grew determined. "Dry off and get on the bed," he said.

John sketched a sarcastic salute and turned to obey, only to have Rodney grab his shoulder and spin him around. "I am going to _wear you out_ ," Rodney growled, before slamming his mouth down on John's.

John moaned into Rodney's mouth, opening his own in invitation. Rodney's tongue slid in, possessively, demandingly. As their tongues twisted together, the moaning got louder. Rodney knew just how to kiss John, how to make him offer it up.

His knees grew weak, threatening to collapse under him. John found himself clinging to Rodney's shoulders, using them to hold himself up. And when Rodney transferred his attention to John's neck, he didn't hesitate to beg.

Rodney chuckled into his skin before releasing him. "Ready to be good?" he asked.

Damn straight, he was ready to be good, especially if it meant he'd get laid. He didn't say that, though, because the last thing that Rodney needed was more ammunition for his ego. Instead, he managed to release the death grip he had on Rodney's shoulder and turned around to go back to the bed.

He couldn't keep from jumping when a stinging slap landed on his ass, but a glance back at Rodney showed him completely unrepentant, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm gonna get you for that," he said, but before Rodney could land another one, he hurried away.

John could hear Rodney following him, but he didn't slow down, jumping onto the bed and bouncing to the middle before flipping over on his back. A split second later, Rodney was straddling his ass, his hands on John's shoulders, pushing him back into the bed. John glanced at the nightstand, where the bottle of lube sat. Rodney had been busy before coming into the shower.

"You said something about wearing me out?" John said, hopefully.

Rodney nodded, and proceeded to take John apart with his mouth. He was slow and methodical, starting with John's neck and working his way down. Each piece of flesh was licked and kissed and nibbled and sucked until John was squirming on the bed, his hips thrusting up. "Please, Rodney," John begged, his hips coming up in entreaty.

"Not yet," Rodney said, his mouth near John's lowest ribs. The buzz of his lips made John laugh a little, and when Rodney lifted his head to see what was causing it, John found himself laughing even harder. He looked so put out that John couldn't help it.

After a second, Rodney grinned widely as if he got the joke. Lowering his head again, he blew against John's stomach, making him squeal. They both started laughing, and for several minutes, every time one of them looked at the other, they started again.

They sobered as quickly as they'd started laughing, staring at each other. John wasn't sure whether he'd pulled Rodney up, or if he'd come up on his own, but the kiss was sudden and intense, as if the hysterical laughter had simply been hiding something much more serious.

Rodney thumbed one of John's nipples while they continued to kiss, coaxing it to a hard point. John panted into Rodney's mouth, moaning softly as Rodney pinched and twisted it.

When Rodney slid down his body, John held his breath, hoping that Rodney wasn't going to tease him. It was a vain hope, though, as Rodney bypassed his cock to kiss his inner thigh. He kissed and nuzzled his way down John's leg, all the way down to John's foot. He even planted a kiss on the sole of John's foot, making him twitch.

Then he worked his way up the other leg, mouth and hands busy waking nerves, bringing his skin to a tingling warmth.

John opened his eyes, briefly wondering when he'd closed them. He looked down, meeting Rodney's frank and open gaze, and there was such caring, such love in Rodney's eyes that it took John's breath away. He reached down one shaking hand and pressed it against Rodney's face. Rodney tipped his head; pressing back for a second before he said, "So, want your dick sucked?"

The moment wasn't broken, but some the tension in the air receded at Rodney's blunt question. "Am I breathing?" John responded. "For a genius, you sure ask dumb ques- Oh!" Rodney had taken him deep in one fast swallow, making John cry out.

The blow job was slow and deep and _perfect_ , making John groan. He would have thrust up into the wet heat of Rodney's mouth, but Rodney pinned him to the bed by his hips, holding him down as he sucked.

John tangled his hands in the sheets, trying to keep from grabbing at Rodney's hair, since that was the surest way to end the blow job. "Please, Rodney, please," he begged as Rodney went even slower, driving him insane.

Rodney dragged his tongue up the underside of John's dick, fluttering it against the nerve cluster at the base of the head, before he pulled away to say, "Not yet, John."

Whimpering, John bit his lip as Rodney continued to tease and taste. He didn't know how Rodney was able to take his time like this - he was already desperate and that was after coming his brains out the night before.

When Rodney pulled back, John cried out, hips lifting against Rodney's hands. "Shh," Rodney said, releasing one hip to grab the lube. Seeing that, John spread his legs even wider, encouraging Rodney, who smiled down at him. His mouth was dark red and swollen, and just looking at him was enough to make John groan.

A slick finger circled John's hole briefly, before breaching him. John couldn't help the way that his hips rocked, trying to take more of Rodney, who knelt up between his legs so he could watch his fingers sink into John. Rodney pulled back a little and came back with two, making John hiss at the sudden burn. Even that wasn't enough to make him want to stop, though. Rodney pressed deep, fingers finding his prostate unerringly, making John gasp and groan.

He couldn't stand it anymore. Pulling his legs up and back, he wrapped his hands around his thighs to hold himself open. "Come on, Rodney. Fuck me."

"Oh, I'm going to," Rodney said, as he continued to finger him. But his rhythm was broken, and his eyes were darting down John's body, to where John was being touched so intimately. In encouragement, John rocked his hips, pulling in Rodney's fingers.

That seemed to snap Rodney's carefully honed control, because he pulled his fingers out roughly before slicking up his cock. John took a deep breath as Rodney's cock pressed against his hole, and let it out as Rodney sank into his body in one slow stroke.

Rodney didn't give him a chance to adjust before he started to move, setting a pace that was far too slow for John. Bent practically in half, he couldn't really move to try to make Rodney go faster, so he clenched down tight, making Rodney breathe hard. "You're not rushing me," he said, even as his hips jerked.

John wrapped his arms around Rodney's neck and pulled him down, even though it was a fairly unpleasant stretch through his hamstrings, lifting his head so that he could kiss Rodney deeply. When Rodney finally pulled back, panting, John caught his eye and slowly reached for his own cock. "I need to come, Rodney. Please."

He didn't even try to hide how badly he wanted it, not even when Rodney chuckled at him softly. Rodney didn't try to keep him from touching his cock. He just stopped moving, and John wanted to _shake_ him. "Oh, come on, Rodney!"

"I don't think you want it bad enough," Rodney said. John couldn't believe it - what else did he have to do to show how much he wanted it?

Then it occurred to him, and he shifted so that he could push Rodney away from him with his legs, till Rodney slid out of his body and he had room to move. Then he grabbed Rodney by the shoulders and rolled the two of them, taking a second to be thankful that the bed was so large. When he was straddling Rodney, who was laughing, he reached between his legs to steady Rodney's cock, and to line it up with his hole. Letting out a breath, he slowly sat back, taking Rodney in.

Rodney's laughter became strained, and his hands tightened on John's thighs. They groaned in unison, and when John started to rock up and back, Rodney whimpered. Without stopping his movement, John leaned forward, resting his weight on his hands on either side of Rodney's head, and kissed him. Tipping his head up eagerly, Rodney returned the kiss even as his hips lifted up into John.

As they kissed and moved together, John felt his orgasm building. Every deep stroke passed over his prostate, and at this angle, the head of his cock brushed continuously over Rodney's stomach. He wanted Rodney deeper, as deep as he could get, so he sat up straight, one hand dropping to his groin to wrap around his cock.

Stroking it in time to his movements, he whimpered. "I'm gonna... gonna..."

"Yeah, John, come for me," Rodney said, his hands tight on John's hips. His own hips were slamming up, taking John from below, and with a cry, John let it all come together, freezing as he shot over Rodney's stomach.

He sagged uselessly for a long moment, before Rodney jostled him. Now it was Rodney's turn to look desperate, which was a good look on him. "Please, John," he said.

"Should make you work for it," John said, but he started to move, letting Rodney tug him down into a deep kiss. It didn't take long before Rodney shoved deep into him and locked up, coming with a groan.

Carefully, John shifted so that Rodney slid out of his body, flopping down on to the bed next to him. "I think we'll just spend the day right here," he said.

"At least for a nap," Rodney agreed.

****

It had been a good couple of days. John had really enjoyed snorkeling and had even managed to convince Rodney to venture into the water a few times. But he just didn't feel like getting dressed again to go out to dinner.

What he _really_ wanted was to cook some of the fish that he had found in the freezer, and there was a grill not a hundred feet from their door. But a glance out of the curtains showed no shortage of people - especially _young_ men - wandering about naked. John knew that he was considered handsome, and low self-esteem had never been a problem. But he didn't want to stand naked next to some twenty-five year old twink, either.

Torn, John dropped a towel on the kitchen chair and had a seat, staring off into space. He was vaguely aware that the shower had cut off, and that Rodney was coming into the room, but he didn't turn to look at him.

He decided that he was going to follow Rodney's lead, this once. Rodney had booked the trip, after all. Presumably, he was comfortable in this world, even if John wasn't.

"John?" Rodney said, circling the table to touch John's shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," John answered softly. "Just contemplating food."

Rodney chuckled. "Isn't that my line? What are you in the mood for?"

"Fish."

"Well, there's a bunch of seafood restaurants around here."

"Don't want to go to a restaurant. I'm tired of hearing 'Margaritaville.'"

"They do kinda pound that theme into the ground around here, don't they?" Rodney laughed. "Okay, you want fish, but you don't want to go out. I know you don't want me to cook it - " They both made a face, remembering Rodney's adventures in cooking. He was a genius, but cooking definitely wasn't one of his talents. "So, you want to make something?"

"Yeah," John said. "I want to grill."

"Well, what do you know, there are grills right out there," Rodney said, pointing at the door. "So what's the problem?"

"Don't want to go out naked," John said, knowing that he was blushing a little. He was grateful that he was as tan as he was, since it wouldn't show much.

"It's clothing _optional_ , John," Rodney said in his see-I-can-be-patient-to-morons voice. "You don't have to go out naked. In fact, if you're going to grill, I'd appreciate it greatly if you _didn't_. I like your parts unbarbequed."

They both laughed a little at that, before Rodney sobered and said, "Seriously, John, I've seen you go naked for harvest festivals and weddings of our trading partners. Why is it an issue all of a sudden?"

The blush intensified, and John _knew_ that Rodney had to have noticed it by now. "I'm not really sure," he said. It was the truth - he didn't really know what the problem was. He hoped that Rodney would accept that.

"Right," Rodney said. He sounded confused when he said, "You know, for a good looking guy, you sure are having problems with this whole naked thing."

John wasn't sure what to say to that. "I'm not that good looking" would get him smacked, even if he thought it. "I don't like being stared at" was closer to the truth, but he didn't want to admit it. Finally he just said, "It kind of weirds me out."

Rodney groaned. "There's nothing weird about it. You look good naked. I _like_ looking at you naked. Just relax, would you?"

"I don't know if I can do that, but I'll try."

Rodney looked like he wanted to say something else, probably something scathing, but instead he slapped his hands on the table and stood up. "You go pull on some jeans, and I'll get the fish, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." He went to the dresser and pulled on jeans and a black t-shirt. Rodney had put the fish on a plate by the time he was dressed, and was pulling stuff out of the refrigerator for a salad. "You cook that and I'll do this," he said. Knowing that cutting up vegetables was about the limit of Rodney's ability in the kitchen, John nodded and went out to start the fire.

There was a nice little picnic area right in front of the door, under a tree. There was even a bag of charcoal next to the grill, so John dumped some in and used one of the long handled lighters to light it. He stared into the flames for a while, trying hard to ignore the naked guys playing around in the pool a few hundred feet away.

Just as the charcoal started to go white around the edges, he heard the door to their room open and then slam shut. Looking up, concerned, he saw something he'd never thought to see in public on Earth - a naked Rodney, carrying the plate of fish. "Figured you'd be about ready for these," he said.

"Thanks," John said shortly, trying not to look at Rodney more than he had to, because the sight of him naked was always good for getting him hard.

"What?" Rodney asked, holding the plate out of reach. "You've seen me naked before, so I know that's not it."

"Don't you think that it's..." John said, grasping for words that weren't cooperating with him.

"That's it's?" Rodney questioned.

"Um, unhygienic?" he said.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Rodney said.

"Aren't you embarrassed?" It slipped out before John could stop it.

"Not really," Rodney said. "It's not like anyone's going to look at me when you're around."

"I don't know about that," John said, sotto voice. Rodney's nearness and nudity were having a predictable effect on him. "I'm sure as hell looking."

 _That_ made Rodney blush, skin going pink all the way down to his chest. John glanced around, and realized that two of the men in the pool were staring at them. He wasn't sure why, and he definitely wasn't going to ask. Instead, he took the plate and laid the fish on the grill, listening as it sizzled and popped.

Rodney grabbed his arm and pulled him a little way away from the grill before wrapping his hand in the neck of John's t-shirt. Pulling him in close, he said, "They're looking at you, not me," and then he kissed John, deep and hard. It wasn't the first kiss that they'd exchanged in public on this vacation, but it was certainly the strangest. John could feel all that naked skin under his hands as he wrapped his arms around Rodney.

The kiss went on for several moments, before Rodney finally broke it. John couldn't resist squeezing his ass one last time before he let go. Rodney squeaked quietly, making John laugh.

"Want to eat out here?" John said, eyeing the tables that were scattered around.

"Only if you _relax_ already," Rodney said.

John snorted. "That's rich, coming from you. You're like the king of type A personalities."

Smiling, Rodney shook his head. "Not right now, I'm not. I'm on vacation. And besides, if you haven't noticed, I'm the one who isn't worried about a bunch of kids looking at me."

"They're not children," John said.

"Thank god for that," Rodney growled. "They also aren't _you_ ," he said.

John couldn't help it - he had to meet Rodney's eyes to see if he really meant it. One look told him that he did, and John immediately went hot, flushing in embarrassment.

"Go ahead and bring out some plates," John said, turning his attention to the fish, which was done on one side. When he looked back, Rodney was already most of the way back to their room, and John let himself relax. If Rodney could strut around naked, then John could do it too.

By the time the fish was done, Rodney had set one of the tables with two plates of salad, beers, and silverware. He'd also brought out two towels that he draped over the benches. "I don't want splinters in sensitive spots," he said.

John hesitated, holding the plate of cooked fish. Then, before he could second-guess himself, he set the plate down and started to strip. After sliding off his jeans, he wanted to hurry up and sit down, but he forced himself to stretch, loving the way that Rodney's eyes strayed down his body.

It was weird, being naked outside like this. Like Rodney had said, it wasn't the first time it happened, but the last time, he'd been surrounded by people who'd looked like his grandmother. He hadn't been worried in the slightest that he wouldn't measure up to some standard.

Maybe because they were back on earth, or maybe because they were surrounded by young and attractive men and women, it felt weird, like he was being judged and found wanting. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he didn't like that feeling.

He looked down as his plate, taking a bite. The fish was perfect, even if he did say so himself, just melting in his mouth. A glance at Rodney's face showed pure pleasure as he took a bite as well. "Is it okay?" he asked, needing a little reassurance about more than just the food.

"It's great," Rodney said, and then looked up at John. "You're pretty good yourself," he added.

John felt himself flush, but he knew better than to argue. Eating the last bite of his salad, he lounged on the bench, leaning his chin on his hand and watching Rodney eat. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he knew that it was love, because no one liked watching the man eat.

He noticed a young man approaching out of the corner of his eye, but figured if they ignored him, he'd go away. Unfortunately, Rodney wasn't on the same page. "Can I help you?"

"Actually..." The man looked at Rodney, and then dismissed him, obviously showing a distinct lack of taste on his part. He turned to face John. "I thought I'd see if you'd care to join us in the pool?"

John couldn't stop himself from looking over at the pool, where several other hard-bodied young men were staring at them. Then he looked back at Rodney, with a body that no one would call hard, and a nervous, crooked grin. "No, thank you," he said, still staring at Rodney. "I'm with someone."

"I'm sure that he'll let you off the leash to fool around some." John wouldn't have noticed Rodney flinching at the word "leash," but he was looking right at him.

Turning his head to look at the stupid kid who wasn't getting the hint, John said, "Maybe I don't want off his leash." When he opened his mouth to argue, John shook his head firmly. "You're a cute kid," he said, knowing that it would be taken as a slap. "But my tastes run to someone a bit more..."

"What, old?" the boy said cattily.

"Intelligent," said Rodney flatly. "You don't qualify. Now, scram."

The young man sniffed, then turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving Rodney to look at John and say, "A bit more what, John?"

"Well, you," John said honestly. "Accept no substitutes."

Rodney chuckled, shoveling in the last bite of fish. Still chewing, he said, "Let's go in, shall we?"

Standing, John gathered up plates and bottles, leaving silverware and towels for Rodney. "Sounds like a plan. Besides, I've got things I want to do to you."

"Don't you mean with me?" Rodney asked, only a step behind him.

"No, I mean _to_ you." He set the plates in the sink, the bottles on the counter, and took the stuff from Rodney as well. As soon as his hands were empty, he slapped Rodney on the ass. "Get on the bed."

Rodney grinned and hurried off. "Have I mentioned lately that I love it when you get all bossy?"

"That's because I'm acting just like you," he shouted over his shoulder as he washed his hands. Drying them off on his legs, he turned and went to the bed, where Rodney was sprawled on his stomach, legs parted invitingly. John crawled up on the bed, forcing Rodney to spread his legs even wider as he moved between them.

Arms braced on either side of Rodney's shoulders, he leaned down and licked up the back of his neck. "Mmm, tasty," he said throatily, and then he bit sharply, making Rodney jump. His cock was hard, pressed firmly against one of Rodney's cheeks. "Maybe I should just rub off against you," he said, hips flexing gently.

Rodney sounded breathless when he said, "Maybe, but you don't really want to. You know you want to fuck me." As if to emphasize his words, he tightened the muscles in his ass, making John think about how tight and hot he was on the inside.

He realized that he wanted to make some sort of statement about where he belonged, at least to himself. What better way than to go right to the place that he wanted to be more than anything? "You're right. I want to fuck you," John said. "Up on your knees."

He had barely finished the words before Rodney had shifted so that he could get his legs under him, thighs spread wide. John grabbed the lube, spreading some on his fingers. Without bothering to warn Rodney, he stroked down his ass to his opening, and pushed in, hard and deep. Rodney cried out, his fingers tightening in the bedspread. "Yes," he hissed.

As soon as Rodney's channel was slick, John pulled his finger out. He spread lube over his cock, hoping that the chill would pull him back from the edge, and then lined up with Rodney's hole. "Rodney," he said.

It seemed like Rodney could read his mind, because he began to push back until the head of John's cock slid into his hole. John locked his hands on Rodney's hips, holding him still. Rodney fought him, still trying to take more, until John's hands went even tighter. "Stop, Rodney, or this will be over before it starts."

Rodney whimpered but stopped fighting, letting John take several deep breaths. _Christ_ , Rodney felt good inside. Hot, tight, wet, _perfect_. Slowly, John started to push in deeper. The sounds that Rodney made as he started to move were enough to keep John on the edge.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, John bottomed out. Balls deep in Rodney, he leaned forward, resting his forehead on Rodney's back, his hands still on Rodney's hips.

He waited till they were both breathing somewhat evenly, and then he pulled back an inch or two. Just as slowly, he pushed back inside. Rodney's breath caught in his throat, and John paused, waiting for it to smooth out again.

Again and again he did this, moving only a few inches at a time, pausing each time one of them gasped for air or cried out. It was getting harder and harder to do, when all he longed for was to start slamming in, hard and fast.

The next time that Rodney's breathing jumped and John stopped, Rodney _growled_. "Goddamn it, John, _fuck. Me._ "

"P-patience," John gasped out, maintaining his hold on his control only barely. "Want to make it memorable."

Rodney snorted, twisting to look over his shoulder at John. "John, _every_ time we fuck it's memorable to me. Now, please?"

Somehow, Rodney always knew the perfect thing to say. How in the hell did he do that? John didn't say anything. He just kissed Rodney right between the shoulder blades, and started to move. This time, he didn't stop when Rodney groaned, or when his own breathing grew choppy. Instead, he just concentrated on keeping each stroke steady and smooth, in as deep as he could get, and then back out till just the head was still inside.

Rodney started to beg, his voice tight and shaky. "Please, John, please. Touch me, fuck me, make me come. _Please_." It took a second to coordinate what he was doing, but he managed to slide one of his hands around to wrap around Rodney's cock. He squeezed it gently, giving Rodney a warm, tight place to thrust. The groan that he got was deep and heartfelt. "So close."

Shifting slightly, John turned his head and bit down on the join of neck and shoulder, making Rodney cry out as his hips worked, pumping his completion over John's fingers.

The way that his body clenched tight around John, the sounds that Rodney made, were enough to push John over the edge as well. Shaking, he slammed deep into Rodney and froze, coming hard enough that he was sure that he was going to sprain something.

When the orgasm released its grip on John, he pulled out slowly, checking to make sure that he didn't rip Rodney through lack of prep. Then he turned to the side and let himself collapse, looking at Rodney's face.

Rodney's eyes were closed, but he said, "Told you that you had nothing to worry about." With a loud groan, Rodney stretched out, opening his eyes and looking at John. "Think you can angst less about your age? You're still gorgeous - all the twinks are out there bitching that I got you and not them."

John rolled his eyes. Those twinks had more than likely forgotten him as soon as he'd walked away, but it was still nice to hear. He kissed Rodney on the forehead. "Bed time. Sleep well, because tomorrow you're going to go snorkeling with me."

"Not happening," Rodney squawked. "I still have journals to read. And we need to clean up - this is unhygienic. Weren't you worried about that earlier?"

He just grinned, and pulled Rodney closer. Cleaning up could wait. Closing his eyes, he let sleep pull him under.

****

John made one more pass around the room, checking under the bed and in the drawers for anything they might have missed. He managed to find one of Rodney's socks, but other than that, it looked like they'd manage to pack everything for once.

Since they were going to be heading right to the mountain when they reached Colorado, he dressed in BDUs, which felt strange, stiff, after so long in civvies and naked. He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand over the comforter. He wanted to go home, back to Atlantis with its mind-controlled plumbing and Teyla and Ronon, but he kind of didn't, too. They weren't going to have time together like this back home.

Rodney came out from one last check of the bathroom. "Are we - " he cut himself off when he looked at John. Coming over to the bed, he said, "Now what's wrong?"

Trying to shake the funk that had fallen over him, John said, "Nothing."

"Right," Rodney said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Nothing is making you look like I just kicked your dog."

"Just a little post-vacation blues. I'll be fine by the time we get back to Atlantis." And he would be, if he had to figure out a way to kick his own ass.

Rodney wrapped one arm around John's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "I have no idea what's going on in your head," he said. "But if you don't feel better by the time you have your first sparring match with Ronon, I'm telling him to kick your ass."

"Oh, come on," John said, pulling away and glaring at Rodney. "He doesn't kick my ass every time."

"Sure. If you say so," Rodney said, kissing the side of John's head roughly. "Now, come on. We're going to miss our flight."

"I sure hope there aren't any screaming babies," John said without thinking, only to recoil from the glare that Rodney gave him.

"Great, now we're cursed," Rodney said.

Knowing that there was no way to get out of being in trouble now, John grabbed both duffle bags. "We need to get going."

Chuckling, Rodney followed him out to the car.

They were lucky on the flight from Key West to Atlanta - the flight was practically empty. They weren't so lucky on the flight from Atlanta to Denver - it was packed, and their seats had gotten messed up, so they couldn't even sit next to each other and bitch about the not one but three screaming babies in the back of the plane.

By the time they landed in Denver, John was more than ready to get off the plane. He and Rodney hurried through baggage claim and back to the car.

He was starting to get a feeling in the pit of his gut - something that he'd call homesickness, maybe. He was ready to be home. They breezed through security and down to medical just long enough to say goodbye to Carson.

"You two look good," he said. "Nice and tan, Colonel," he grinned at John, before looking at Rodney. "And how did you manage to spend ten days in Florida without even getting a little pink, Rodney?"

Rodney just looked smug. "Told you that you should try my sunscreen, Carson."

They both chuckled, and then Rodney hugged Carson just as Landry poked his head into Medical. "Gentlemen, if you expect to go back to Atlantis any time in the near future, I suggest you get down to the gateroom."

Not wanting to see how serious Landry might be, they both hurried to pick up their bags. With a final goodbye to Carson, they headed down to the 'gate.

John realized they were both bouncing, and made an effort to still himself. After a minute, though, he started again. His earlier reluctance to go home was completely gone. He couldn't wait.

The gate started to turn, and John shifted his grip on his bag. Landry was on their radios as he hailed Atlantis. "Mr. Woolsey, we appear to have a military commander and a chief scientist in our gateroom. Do you want them back?"

Rodney and he exchanged glances as Woolsey said, "Our shield is down. Send them through."

John turned to look at Landry, who waved them up the ramp impatiently. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Throwing off a quick salute, they walked up the ramp and into another world.

Lorne and Zelenka were both there, as well as Woolsey. All three looked substantially more frazzled than they had when John and Rodney had left. Concerned, John stopped. "Gentlemen?"

"Everything's fine, Sheppard," Ronon said from the side. "You guys were missed, though."

"Yeah, it looks like it," Rodney said. He started towards Zelenka, only to have his hand grabbed by him as soon as he was within reach. Zelenka studied his fingers for a moment before turning to look at Lorne and raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Rodney demanded.

"I guess we need to call off the party," Lorne sighed.

"What party?" John did his best to sound menacing. Unfortunately, it was clear that it didn't work. Lorne just laughed at him.

"Your wedding reception, of course."

John swatted Lorne's arm, laughing. "I told you we weren't getting married. Now, can you guys hold the city long enough for us to take our stuff back to our rooms?"

"Room, sir." Lorne was still laughing.

"What do you mean, room?" Rodney said. "I very clearly remember rooms, plural."

"Not anymore," Zelenka said. "Now that you are together, we are conserving space. We moved you into one room." Zelenka was laughing too, the bastard.

But Rodney was looking at John, and when he tipped his head to the side, John got it. Rodney wanted this. And if he stopped to think about it, so did John. Fine.

"So, you two geniuses going to show us where this room is? And it better have a bed big enough for both of us."

"Too much information," Lorne said, holding up his hands. "I'll let Zelenka take you. I need to get back to the office."

John nodded. As much fun as this was, Lorne had clearly had a rough time of it. He'd have to get to the office soon, too.

They followed Zelenka down a little used corridor to a nondescript door. When it slid open, John _had_ to grin at Rodney. Not only had they been moved in together, these quarters were _much_ bigger than their old ones - and they had a real person sized bed.

Zelenka had gone away while Rodney and John had dropped their bags and were checking out the room, so John didn't hesitate to grab Rodney and kiss him. He would have tried for more, but the radio went off then. "McKay, are you coming to the lab today?" Zelenka's voice sounded even more frazzled, and they broke their embrace.

"I'm on my way," Rodney said, and then looked at John. "See you later." He took off down the hall. John contemplated unpacking for a minute before he decided that he needed to go see Lorne.

It was good to be home.


End file.
